Don Garber: Messi Made MLS a 'Global Phenomenon'
MLS commissioner Don Garber has credited Lionel Messi with turning Major League Soccer into a global phenomenon — and said he would love Harry Kane to follow the Argentina great across the Atlantic.
Garber's Kane wish
MLS commissioner Don Garber would love Harry Kane to follow Lionel Messi across the pond, telling the Press Association that the England captain's interest in the league helps fulfil a dream that Sir David Beckham kept alive.
Kane, 33, revealed during a recent international camp that he is open to eventually moving to MLS, alongside an admission that he dreams of being an NFL kicker. The Bayern Munich striker is in the running for the Ballon d'Or after a season in which he scored 73 goals for club and country, won the Bundesliga and claimed World Cup bronze.
Speaking after Kane marked his record-equalling 125th England appearance by extending his international goal tally to 91 in a 3-0 Nations League win over Czechia, Garber said: "I'd love for him to do that. I think, for me, it is the fulfilment of the dream that we had to build a proper soccer league that would drive a soccer nation."
Garber said the league had long wanted players of Kane's calibre to see MLS as a destination: "We wanted to create something that would have the Harry Kanes of the world say 'I'd kind of like to play in MLS'. And I think Messi proved that."
"Without Leo Messi"
The commissioner's strongest praise was reserved for Messi himself. Garber said Major League Soccer would not be what it is today without the Argentine: "Major League Soccer would not be the global phenomenon and not be sort of on the hearts and minds of just about anybody in the world without Leo Messi."
He drew a direct line from Beckham's arrival at LA Galaxy to Messi's at Inter Miami. "David put this league on the path to credibility and respect. In the prime of his career, he came to LA," Garber said. "He came into Major League Soccer and showed the world that this league can be competitive, it could be respected, it could be fun, it could have great players."
Beckham's move attracted Thierry Henry and a wave of stars after him, Garber noted: "Without David there's probably no Major League Soccer. That being said, Major League Soccer would not be the global phenomenon... without Leo Messi."
When asked which of the two stars mattered more to the league, Garber declined to choose: "I don't think I would say one is more important than the other."
The battle to sign Messi
Garber also lifted the lid on how close Inter Miami came to losing out on Messi in 2023, crediting club owner Jorge Mas with holding firm through a competitive process. Speaking on NBC Sports' Two Robbies and Friends podcast with Kyle Martino earlier this summer, he recalled Joan Laporta pushing for a return to Barcelona and competition from Saudi Arabia's extraordinary financial resources.
"Throughout that whole process, all the back and forth and friendly with Joan Laporta, and Joan saying, 'We're gonna get him back to Barcelona, and you don't wanna compete against the Saudis,'" Garber said, crediting Mas for refusing to blink.
The gamble paid off. Garber described Messi's arrival in these terms: "Play in Miami, have them be able to build a new stadium and have him set records and be an MVP." Messi has won the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award twice with Inter Miami — a third would make him the first three-time winner in league history — and he sits atop the 2026 Golden Boot race as the season enters its final stretch.
Garber added a personal favourite detail about Messi's professionalism: "The guy plays every minute of every game, no matter what game that is, and that should be a lesson to every kid in MLS and every kid in the world."
Messi's numbers at Inter Miami
The records back Garber's praise. Messi reached 100 goals for Inter Miami in September, scoring in the Campeones Cup final against Cruz Azul — the same opponent he faced on his debut in July 2023 — and he did it in 115 appearances, faster than any player in MLS history. Josef Martinez previously held the mark, needing 125 appearances to reach 100 for Atlanta United.
Messi has also become only the second player in league history to score 20 goals in three consecutive MLS seasons. His contract with Inter Miami runs through the end of the 2028 MLS season, giving him more than two further campaigns to keep climbing the league's all-time scoring charts.
On the podcast, Garber described the 2026 World Cup — where 45 MLS players featured and the league ranked sixth in the world for minutes contributed across national teams — as "a love letter from the world to our country," and he was visibly moved that the best player of the tournament plays his club football in MLS.
An "unbelievable goodbye"
Garber tied Messi's Miami chapter directly to his Argentina farewell this week. Summarising the plan for the 39-year-old's twilight years, he said: "Play in Miami, have them be able to build a new stadium and have him set records and be an MVP, and then have an unbelievable goodbye (this week) from his international career."
That goodbye came at the Estadio Monumental on October 6, when Messi scored one and set up two more in Argentina's 3-0 friendly win over Benin, his 126th international goal in his 208th and final cap.
With Messi now fully focused on Inter Miami — who host D.C. United on October 11 as they chase the MLS playoffs — Garber believes the league is better placed than ever to attract the next generation of global stars. Kane, he hopes, will be the first of them.
Garber's own farewell
The comments carry added weight because Garber is himself winding down. The 68-year-old has been MLS commissioner since 1999 and will become chairman at the turn of the year, proud of a tenure that began when the league was founded as part of the bid to hold the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
He says MLS has made the country the planet's "biggest commercial market for the sport," and framed the league's next era in typically American terms: "We just went from a country road, now we're getting onto the highway. And we've got to get better."
The bar he sets is higher than ever: "We have to have a league that is more competitive, that has an ability to get into the Club World Cup and win games. Miami won one. Not just be there but have people think that an MLS team can compete against other clubs in the world."
Questions people ask
What did Don Garber say about Lionel Messi's impact on MLS?
MLS commissioner Don Garber said Major League Soccer "would not be the global phenomenon" it is today "without Leo Messi," crediting him with putting the league on the hearts and minds of fans worldwide.
What did Don Garber say about Harry Kane joining MLS?
Garber told the Press Association he would love Harry Kane to follow Messi to MLS after the England captain revealed he is open to moving to America one day. He called it the fulfilment of a dream David Beckham kept alive.
How did Garber compare Messi and David Beckham?
Garber said Beckham "put this league on the path to credibility and respect," attracting stars like Thierry Henry, and that "without David there's probably no Major League Soccer" — but that Messi made it a global phenomenon. He declined to rank one above the other.
When does Don Garber step down as MLS commissioner?
Garber, 68, has held the commissioner's post since 1999 and will become chairman of MLS at the turn of the year, at the start of 2027.
What records has Messi set at Inter Miami?
Messi reached 100 Inter Miami goals in a record 115 games, became only the second player in MLS history to score 20 goals in three straight seasons, won two MLS MVP awards, and leads the 2026 Golden Boot race. His contract runs through 2028.
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